Key Summary
- NHS has identified a pilot list of 378 medicines that have either failed to attract sufficient supply through tenders, or have very few suppliers.
- These products will benefit from prioritised MHRA regulatory support, including early engagement meetings.
- NHS England will establish a dedicated buying framework, offering clarity on volumes and prices.
Medicines UK, NHS England, and MHRA have joined hands for Project Revive, an initiative that aims to solve shortages of specific critical treatments by fast-tracking dormant MHRA-approved licences and guaranteeing NHS purchasing.
NHS has identified a pilot list of 378 medicines that have either failed to attract sufficient supply through tenders or pose a supply resilience risk, with very few or no suppliers, and represent a strategic priority.
The aim is to target medicines that pose a serious risk to supply resilience, and their shortage could affect patient care.
The initial list includes medicines to treat complex cancers, thrombosis, pulmonary embolism, and schizophrenia.
A new joined‑up pathway will be created to encourage manufacturers to revive dormant licences for these medicines.
These products will benefit from prioritised MHRA regulatory support, including early engagement meetings.
The NHS England will establish a dedicated buying framework outside standard procurement routes, offering clarity on volumes, prices and purchasing arrangements.
This coordinated approach is designed to incentivise manufacturers to supply medicines that may previously have been considered commercially unviable despite their clinical importance. The pathway aims to deliver results by early next year.
The concept was first outlined in the Government’s policy paper, which was published in July last year.
Fiona Bride, NHS England's interim Chief Commercial Officer and Director of Medicines Value and Access, said, "Project Revive brings together NHS England’s commercial expertise, MHRA regulatory leadership, and industry capabilities, to create a clear pathway for companies to bring important patient treatments back into the NHS supply chain.
"Ensuring a resilient and stable supply of medicines is fundamental to delivering patient care, with pharmaceuticals being the most common healthcare intervention in the NHS, and this collaborative pilot initiative aims to strengthen that supply chain by incentivising more companies to become NHS suppliers, or deepen existing partnerships.”
Medicines UK chief executive Mark Samuels said, “This is a fantastic opportunity to deliver real patient benefit through collaboration between NHS and manufacturers. It is a tangible example of a partnership approach that will help mitigate the impact of shortages of critically important medicines.
"We have long stated that medicine shortages cannot be solved in isolation, and this project shows what can be achieved by working together. By working with NHS England and MHRA, we hope that this new model provides more certainty to enable companies to produce and supply medicines for use in the NHS.”
Julian Beach, executive director, Healthcare Quality and Access at the MHRA, said, "The MHRA is pleased to be part of this important collaboration to help ensure patients have access to the medicines they need. Through Project Revive, we are committed to providing regulatory advice within four weeks of request and ensuring timely assessment of any changes needed to bring these unmarketed medicines back into active use.
“By working with Medicines UK and NHS England, we can strengthen the UK’s medicine supply resilience and ensure there’s a clear pathway to help get these treatments to patients."
The pilot will run over 12 months, and if it is a success, it will be scaled up to cover more medicines.
